Adding herbs to your soap not only provides great skin loving benefits, but also can naturally color your soaps as well.

If you are looking for a way to naturally color your cold process soaps, herbs may be your answer. The addition of herbs to your soaping recipes not only can provide your skin with different skin loving benefits, but can also give your soaps beautiful color as well.

There are basically three ways to incorporate herbs into your soaping recipe they are:

1. As is. If the herb you are adding is in a powder or small leaf/seed form, they can be added when your soap batter has reached trace.
2. Herbs in tea form. This is done by steeping the herbs in water to create a tea, and then this “tea” is used as the water portion of your soap recipe.
3. Oil infusion. If you are selecting to infuse your herbs this way, you must make your herb oil infusion several weeks before using it in a soaping recipe. The selected herbs are placed into one of your oils (that will be used in your soap recipe) and allowed to set for 4-6 weeks. Then, strain the herbs out and use the oil in your soap recipe. Please Note: This process can also be done by adding the herbs to the melting pot as you wait for your soaping oils to melt.

The choice of how you would like to infuse your herbs is up to you and testing. It is important to keep in mind what the end goal of adding the herb is before choosing your herbal addition method. The answers as to why some people prefer different methods over others various based on easiness, time frame, best color production, or even strongest herbal infusion. However, if you are simply looking to add herbs to your soap recipe for natural color, the herbs are added to your soap batter at trace.

It is also important that you test for discoloration in a soap recipe before adding an herb for colorant. Natures Garden has a list of every fragrance oil they carry and how it preformed in cold process soap. It is on their website under each fragrance oil’s page in the Fragrance Tested area, or for a complete list click Fragrances Tested in CP Soap Results. You want to be prepared when adding herbs to soaping recipes, so knowing a little about how the fragrance oil reacts will only prepare you more for what to expect, especially when it comes to colorants!

This true to name fragrance oil by Natures Garden is one realistic aroma you should not pass over. A wonderfully unique scent that is deep, rich, and creamy; this fragrance oil even has warm, comforting notes to it. Many of our customers report this spicy fragrance as fast selling, with consumers absolutely adoring this complex scent in their products. Our customers even comment that “for chai tea lovers, this is a Must Have!”

What does Chai Tea Smell Like?

This fragrance oil by Natures Garden is very complex! Our chai tea fragrance begins with top notes of spicy cinnamon bark and nutmeg; followed with a body of fresh green tea; finished off with the aroma of creamy soy milk.

How Do Our Customers Use Chai Tea Fragrance Oil?

For any candle crafters and home scenters, Chai Tea Fragrance Oil is used in WOW, Joy, Pillar of Bliss, and Soy waxes. The scent has very strong hot and cold throw, especially in soy and Joy waxes. This fragrance oil is even used in oil burners and can be used to make very aromatic tarts as well.

For any bath and body crafters, this fragrance oil is out of this world in products. The usage percent for this fragrance oil is 1% for Bath Oils, Soaps, and Bath Gels; and .5% for Lotions and Perfumes. The Vanillin Content is 2% so this fragrance oil may discolor your products. If you are concerned about discoloration, Vanilla White Color Stabilizer is advised by our customers to stabilize discoloration in finished products. The most common products that customers use this fragrance oil to make are: spritz lotions, whipped body butters, bath bombs, body scrubs, solid perfumes, melt and pour soaps, and bath gels. Finally, for those of you that are cold process soapers, this fragrance oil is unmatched. Here are the official results: “Soaped beautifully, no ricing, no acceleration, discolored to a light brown, behaved, scent retention is strong. I have soaped several chai teas, and this one is the best thus far.”

The Natures Garden staff is at it again, and this week Afshan (our graphic artist) joined our Staff Project Challenge. Her project is called Banana Pudding Soap.

Hi everyone! my name is Afshan. I’m a web designer by profession and really love what I do. I’ve been working for Natures Garden for the past 3yrs and although I work offshore from my country Pakistan and haven’t met the staff , the CEO Deborah and the company I feel like I’m a part of Natures Garden too. I felt greatly honored when Deborah asked me to do the Staff Challenge and here I am with my first soap ever, a Banana Pudding Soap.

In my spare time I like to do baking, sketching and photography. I just love animals and have kept a goat, chickens, cats, sheep and a turtle as pets at different times. My dream is to one day be on board the National Geographic Explorer Tour and see the wildlife up at the North Pole plus the Aurora Borealis. I can speak 3 languages. I’m a Libran and like balance and organization in my life. I love watching TV Series, these days I’m hooked to Homeland. My purpose in life is to be good human being and be useful to as many people as possible. My life motto is “I can do it” and I believe that even a little bit of kindness never goes unrewarded.

Afshan was inspired to make banana pudding soap after she read the Banana Pudding Recipe Deborah posted on her facebook page. Banana pudding is one of Deborah’s family favorites, and Afshan had never eaten banana pudding. So, in addition to sending Afshan everything she would need to make the banana pudding soap, Deborah also sent her the ingredients not found in Pakistan that she would need to make edible banana pudding. Afshan loved making the soap, and she said that her family loved eating the real banana pudding! You can find Deborah’s Edible Banana Pudding Recipe Here. Hope you enjoy it!

It is a golden opportunity when you can find a fragrance oil so unbelievably realistic that it actually smells as scrumptious as the dessert itself.Natures Garden’s Pumpkin Crunch Cake Fragrance Oil is almost too good to be true.This fragrance oil is beyond yummy with its strong and rich creamy and buttery notes that consumers just can’t seem to get enough of.Many of our customers comment that they want to eat their wax after scenting it with this fragrance.Tempting, we know; but we suggest you do not do this!Many of our customers comment that they sell out of the fragrance every time!It really is a MUST HAVE in your fall line.One of our customers even stated this, “For anyone thinking about trying it, you’ve already waited too long…get it TODAY!!”

What does Pumpkin Crunch Cake Fragrance Oil Smell Like?

Oh, you’re gonna love this fragrance oil by Natures Garden! The aroma of one of our favorite desserts of creamy pumpkin pie filling with rich eagle brand milk; surrounded with freshly baked yellow cake, melted butter, pecans, and hints of spice. A Best Seller! An NG Original fragrance.

How Do Our Customers Use Pumpkin Crunch Cake Fragrance Oil?

For those of you lucky ones that are candle crafters or home scenters; our customers use this fragrance oil in their soy, parasoy blend, ecosoya, WOW, paraffin, pillar, and Joy wax candles.The scent has great hot and cold scent throw; very aromatic throughout the house.Some of our customers even make scented toilet paper, scented rosehips, room sprays, oil burners, smelly jellies and aroma beads with Pumpkin Crunch Cake Fragrance Oil too.

Unfortunately, on the bath and body end, this fragrance oil is not body safe.However, the super yummy recipe for baking the real pumpkin crunch cake is (for digestion). And, if baking isn’t really your thing, but you still want to give this fragrance oil a try in wax, there is an awesome recipe in the Free Recipes and Classes area of Natures Garden’s website for making Pumpkin Delight Clamshell Tarts!Get your warmers ready you’re not going to want to miss out on this one.

Sodium Lactate: Most commonly derived by the fermentation of corn or beets, this natural body product additive has a smooth, clear appearance with almost no odor.

Sodium Lactate is quickly gaining the spotlight as an additive in the creation of bath and body products. Although it is not a mandatory ingredient, sodium lactate can hold its own when it comes to functionality in a recipe.

Sodium lactate, a water soluble ingredient, is added during the water phase of the creation. It is used in bath products and has many beneficial aspects to its use. It is a natural moisturizer, humectant (bringing moisture to itself), and pH regulator. Sodium Lactate is used in a variety of bath products such as soaps, lotions, and shampoos. In fact, when it comes to lotion formulations, sodium lactate can be used to replace vegetable glycerin. Why is this a benefit? Using sodium lactate instead of vegetable glycerin will give you a final product that lacks the stickiness that usually occurs when using vegetable glycerin in a lotion recipe. Sodium lactate also helps reduce the “greasiness” of the oils in your emulsions, while improving the absorption capability of emulsions. In emulsions like lotions, sodium lactate is used at the rate of 1-3% of the weight of your recipe.

Sodium lactate is used in cold process soap recipes to harden the soap, making for a harder, longer lasting bar of soap in the tub. One of the great bonuses of using sodium lactate in your soap recipe is the easier releasing of the soap from the mold, especially if you are using more of a complex shaped mold. Besides adding moisture and conditioning aspects to your soap, sodium lactate helps to increase lather and can even add mildness to the soap.

For cold process soap makers, the sodium lactate is added to your cooled lye water solution. What results is a harder bar of soap that will release from the mold easier, and can be cut earlier than the traditional cold process soap. Also, the physical appearance of a soap that has the addition of sodium lactate will improve. The bars will have a creamier look to them, and the soap will provide a more luxurious lather. Sodium Lactate aids in keeping your soap batter in a liquid state longer. This makes coloring/swirling and pouring easier. But once the soap is molded, sodium lactate will harden your soap faster, allowing for the soap to unmold easily.

For hot process soap makers, sodium lactate is added to your lye water solution, and other ingredients are mixed in.

Testing is key for finding the right percentage of use for sodium lactate in your recipe. For a great starting point is 1/2 oz. sodium lactate per pound of soap oils. But, test, test, test! Be cautious not to add too much sodium lactate, this will cause your soap to be brittle and/or crumbly.

Natures Garden is not responsible for the performance of any of the recipes provided on our website. Testing is your responsibility. If you plan to resell any recipes we provide, it is your responsibility to adhere to all FDA regulations. If there are ingredients listed in a recipe that Natures Garden does not sell, we cannot offer any advice on where to purchase those ingredients.

A quickly rising favorite among customers, this fragrance oil is very unique to say the least. Werewolf Fragrance oil has a true to name transforming appeal to it. A refreshing, clean, and masculine type aroma; that when used in products, consumers just can’t seem to walk away without coming back to purchase. Once bitten by the scent, it just seems to take over. In fact, after testing, many of our customers comment that they not only use this fragrance oil for their product lines, but many use it for their husbands’ personal care items as well!

What does Werewolf Smell Like?

This fragrance oil by Natures Garden is sexy and animalistic. Fresh citrus highlights sparkle around the floral heart of lavender and ylang in this sensuous blend. An earthy signature of patchouli and spiced wood leads to a base of warm animal tones. Leather and musk balance with balsamic undertones as hints of powdery vanilla complete the blend.

How Do Our Customers Use Werewolf Fragrance Oil?

For all of you candle crafters or home scenters, Werewolf Fragrance Oil is used in gel, WOW, Joy, Pillar of Bliss, and Soy waxes. This fragrance oil has amazing scent throw and makes wonderfully strong tarts and votives as well. This fragrance oil also works very well in potpourri, electric warmers, sachet beads, and hanging air fresheners.

For bath and body crafters, this fragrance oil has a usage percentage of 5%. Natures Garden’s Werewolf fragrance oil is used to make: shave gels, solid lotion bars, cologne, bubble bath, body scrubs, melt and pour soaps, bath gels, and aftershave. Finally, for those of you that are cold process soapers, this fragrance oil soaps like a dream! Here are the official results: Perfect Pour, no ricing, no acceleration, discolors to a tan.

Now that autumn is officially here, your Halloween Fragrance Oil line will not be complete without Natures Garden’s Bitches Brew Fragrance Oil in your products. A true woodsy, herbal scent combination; this fragrance oil captures the essence of the spooktacular Halloween Holiday. This perfect fall time scent is eerily similar to a very well know company’s Witches Brew.

What does Bitches Brew Smell Like?

This fragrance oil by Natures Garden is the smoky, woody sweetness of balsamic resins and patchouli enveloping herbaceous florals for a bewitching scent.

How Do Our Customers Use Bitches Brew Fragrance Oil?

If you are a candle crafter or home scenter, Bitches Brew Fragrance Oil is used in paraffin, WOW, Joy, Pillar of Bliss, and Soy waxes. Since this scent is strong in the hot and cold throw of candle wax, once lit, it will be no time before the scent fills the home. This fragrance oil also works very well in smelly jellies and odor eliminator for festively fun home scenting ideas too.

For bath and body crafters, this fragrance oil has a usage percentage of 5%. Bitches Brew fragrance oil is used to make: lotions, bubble bath, body scrubs, solid perfumes, melt and pour soaps, bath gels, and whipped body butters. Finally, for those of you that are cold process soapers, this fragrance behaved perfectly! Here are the official results: No acceleration. No separation. Scent is dead on to Yankee. No discoloration.

The Natures Garden facility is buzzing with excitement as the staff is anxiously awaiting for their turn in the Natures Garden staff challenge. We are currently in week 7 and it is looking as if there is no end to the creativity. For this staff challenge, each staff member was asked to create their very own recipe using their favorite Natures Garden fragrance oil. This week the spotlight is on Josh, and his creation was a fabulous massage candle scented in his favorite fragrance oil NG Cashmere & Silk Type.

Josh has been with Natures Garden for many years. He is our “go to guy” in the warehouse. Josh is a gem to work with, and always offers a helping hand even when his own workload is full. Although Josh can be quiet, he is generally jolly and is always in a good mood. A little known fact about Josh is that he is “besties” with Zack (last week’s beer candle contestant.) They have been best friends ever since the seventh grade.

Josh is a single dad of two beautiful children; one little girl and one little boy. When it comes to his spare time, Josh enjoys spending time with his kids. For Josh, family comes first! Josh’s daughter is very creative, so together they enjoy coloring and making art crafts such as bouncy balls and sand art kits. When it comes to his son, active things are what they do together. They like to play sports- baseball, football, ect, basically if it involves a ball they are playing it.

When Josh is able to sneak in some personal time, he enjoys being outdoors. Josh is a big contender and is currently involved in a Corn Hole League. He also loves cruising in his jeep with the top off, wind in his hair. Josh especially loves the long days and heat of summer. Josh is most happy when riding 4 wheelers, and his dream day spent outside ends with a huge bonfire surrounded by friends and family.

When asked what inspired Josh to want to make a massage candle, he responded, “When I smell NG Cashmere & Silk Type Fragrance Oil, I think of the ladies. So, since I am single, who wants a massage first?”

Vamp Vogue Fragrance Oil- Fragrance Oil SpotlightA perfect Halloween/Fall/any time scent, Natures Garden’s Vamp Vogue Fragrance Oil definitely deserves acknowledgement. This sensual scent is alluring and playful, yet sophisticated and complex. Any fragrance oil that is referred to as beautiful, strong, and exotic in the same sentence will undeniably turn some heads in your products. Some of our customers even attribute Vamp Vogue Fragrance as smelling comparable to a high end perfume.

What does Vamp Vogue Smell Like?

This fragrance oil by Natures Garden is a sexy, gothic statement, beginning with top notes of Blood Orange, Ruby Red Grapefruit, and Mandarin; followed by middle notes of Geranium, Bourbon, Oak Moss, and Dark Patchouli; sitting on notes of Black Amber, Sandal Tree, Cashmere, and Musk. An NG Original Fragrance!
How Do Our Customers Use Vamp Vogue Fragrance Oil?

For all you candle crafters or home scenters out there; Vamp Vogue Fragrance Oil is used in all kinds of waxes like paraffin, parasoy blends, soy blends, Pillar, soy, Joy and WOW waxes. This fragrance oil also has awesome hot scent throw and is highly recommended. On the home scenting end, this fragrance oil also works well for hanging air fresheners, potpourri scented pouches, electric warmers, and room refreshing sprays.

On the bath and body end, this fragrance fares well. The usage percent for Vamp Vogue Fragrance Oil is 5%, and is used to make: sugar scrubs, shower gels, melt and pour soaps, salt scrubs, body creams, roll-ons, homemade lotions, bubble baths, body spritz, and bubble bombs; just to name a few. Finally, for those of you that are cold process soapers, this fragrance oil behaves well and the scent really blooms after cure. Here are the official results: No acceleration. Soaps nicely. Discolors to a tan. Scent holds well.

Natures Garden’s Bite Me Fragrance Oil is both a best selling fragrance oil and a Natures Garden Original Fragrance Oil.

Bite Me Fragrance Oil- Fragrance Oil SpotlightIt is quite an accomplishment when a fragrance oil is a triple threat. Not only is Bite Me an NG Original scent, but it is also a best seller; standing it’s ground as one of the top 40 selling fragrance oils year round. Even better yet, Bite Me Fragrance Oil ranked #3 on our recent poll for the Customer Favorite Fragrance Oils 2013. Needless to say, this very sweet fragrance oil is definitely worth it! Many of our customers that use this fragrance oil in a variety of products report they sell out every time. In fact, one of our customers refers to this scent as “take-your-breath-away fantastic.”

What does Bite Me Smell Like?

Dracula would fall in love with this fragrance oil by Natures Garden! Fresh citrus notes of lime and orange sparkle with effervescent highlights as they lead to a luscious blend of berry and cherry in this playful scent. Leafy green accents add intensity as a base of vanilla creates sweet tones for the fragrance. An NG Original Fragrance!

How Do Our Customers Use Bite Me Fragrance Oil?

For anyone who is a candle crafter or home scenter; Bite Me Fragrance Oil is used in eco soya, paraffin, parasoy blends, soy blends, WOW and Joy waxes. This fragrance oil is even used in Pillar waxes to make pillar, tarts, and votives that are strong enough to knock your socks off. Since this fragrance oil is extremely aromatic and has wonderful hot and cold throw, it is considered “a must have” in your candle line. This fragrance oil also works well for air fresheners, reed diffusers, electric warmers, and potpourri.

For bath and body crafters, this fragrance oil will take your products to the next level. The scent is loved by all! The usage percent for this fragrance oil is 5% for soaps, oils, and gels; and 2% for lotions and perfumes. This one of a kind fragrance oil is used to make: salt body scrubs, lotions, creams, melt and pour soap, bath salts, shower gels, body sprays, roll-ons, and shampoos. The list is endless! Finally, for those of you that are cold process soapers, this fragrance is a phenomenal. Here are the official results: Wow, Perfect Pour, no ricing, no acceleration, no discoloration, very strong, a must have for all lines.